James Milner has taken a pay cut to remain at Liverpool, signing a one-year extension despite offers from the Premier League and Europe that might offer him more money or minutes.
It could well be one of the most important deals of the summer for Liverpool.
It says a lot about Milner, Jurgen Klopp and the Anfield plan that all three parties were so keen to continue a remarkable relationship that the manager feels underpins everything good that Liverpool have done in recent years.
Milner might not be the marquee arrival that will lift Liverpool to the levels of Manchester City, their bête noire in the Premier League. With Sadio Mane flirting with a move and Mo Salah’s contract offer still hanging over the club, Liverpool are arriving at a crossroads. Julian Ward is facing something of a baptism of fire in his first summer as the club’s sporting director.
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When the Reds were fighting on four fronts into the dying weeks of the season, they needed their fringe men to be ready to step in and match the levels of the likes of Salah. What that meant in practice is that those left behind at Melwood during Champions League weeks had to train and prepare with the same intensity of those guaranteed minutes.
Milner was a big part of that, driving the standards of what he himself called the best dressing room he’d ever been part of.
“A lot is often made of James’ leadership skills and his influence in the dressing room,” Klopp said, hailing the “importance” of Milner committing.
“And of course, that’s correct and justified, but nobody should overlook his quality on the pitch, where he continues to perform to a level that meant we simply couldn’t afford to lose him.
“His professionalism is the benchmark for any athlete and it’s why he sets the tone for this team with his ability and attitude.”
Those that know Milner believe he is a natural for a career in management. His reading of the game and the fact he is a natural leader of men make him look like the ideal candidate.
Meanwhile five players – Salah, Mane, Roberto Firmino, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – are about to enter the final 12 months of their existing contracts.
While negotiations have dragged on with Salah, fellow forward Mane is attracting interest from Bayern Munich.
Liverpool will not allow the 30-year-old Senegal international, who scored 23 goals this season, to leave unless it is for a fee in excess of £25m, providing they have a suitable replacement lined up.
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